152 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Fei5. 15. 



Sir William.— Some liave thought that this variety has been 

 overrated; but at the station and sub stations it has made a 

 record seiond to none. It easil.v ranks with the most prolific 

 varieties, and excels most of them in table <iualities. All 

 things considered, it deserves a place near the head of the 

 list. 



Wise.— A very vigorous and prolific pink-skinned variety 

 from Ashland County, where it has a high leputation. It has 

 been tested here one season only, but appears to have more 

 than ordinary nieiit. 



Now, friends, please notice that Maule's 

 Thoroughbred is placed in the above table 

 away up above every thing else. Koshkonong 

 comes next, and Sir William third, at 308 bush- 

 els per acre. The Thoroughbred is 357 bushels 

 besides being at least almofit as early as the 

 Early Ohio; and it seems a little singular that 

 they do not make more of a stir about it in their 

 commenis. 1 am a little surprised to see tliem 

 speak of the Craig as they do, especially when 

 the above statement does not agree with the 

 one from C. E. Green, who has the potato in 

 charge, given on page 8.'i3.* Six Weeks, they 

 say, is not di.-iinguishable from the Early Ohio. 

 I wonder if this has been the expt^rience gener- 

 ally among potato-growers. We are also a lit- 

 tle surprised to see them speak of Salzer's Ear- 

 liest as only another name for Bliss Triumph. 



ANOTHER POTATO STORY. 



Our good friend A. E. Manum is not only a 

 practical and successful bee-keeper, but he 

 likes to grow plants, and he has a special inter- 

 est in raising and testing nn.v varieties. In 

 fact, he has been for years growing potatoes 

 from the seed-balls. Last spring he sent me 

 three small potatoes, and asked me to iry them. 

 On account of the boys skipping, there was a 

 little space left right among my piece of Craigs. 

 These three potatoes were cut lo one eye, and 

 had the same care as the Craigs. 1 took espe- 

 cial notice of them, because they were the last 

 to yield to blight except the Craigs, and they 

 produced enormous hills of great big fine pota- 

 toes. After the vines were dead we found we 

 found we had something over a bushel, and 

 wroie to friend Manum in regard lo them. Be- 

 low is his reply: 



Frirnd A. I. Root:—! planted one acre and 66 rods 

 of these potatoes, and dug from this ground 836 

 bushels. From one acre 1 got 604 bushels— 601 at 

 digging; and, since plowing the acre, 3 bushels 

 more were thrown out by the plow, making 604 

 bushels from one acre, with ordinary cultivation— 

 no /'»/<//ig whatever. There was no manure used — 

 simply 700 lbs, of fertilizer used on the acre, with 2 

 barrels of 'ashes. It was sod ground that liad been 

 to grass four years. 



Mr. John Orvis, of Starksbnro. to whom 1 gave six 

 potatoes last spring, got 6% bushels; and a neivli- 

 bor planted one potato, and got 5 pecks. These 

 weri' grown on liglit sandy loam. I am an.xious to 

 learn how they behavpd on your rich soil. I planted 

 on one piece, the "66-rod" one (the whole piece 

 measuring '4 acre, but only 66 rods was planted to 

 my seedling), two rows of Rural New-Yorker No. 3, 

 and three rows of Mills' Prize, both varieties being 

 noted as good yielders. Then the rest of the piece 

 was planted to my seedhngs. all treated alike 

 throughout the season. The seedlings yielded 

 double what either the others did. On another 

 plat, same kind of soil, 1 planted the Carman Nos. 

 1 and 3; Bovee's Early, the Columbian, the Early 

 Delaware, the Mammoth, and Craig, which I bought 

 of you. From the pound of Craigs, 1 got h bush- 

 els; average yield. 3.55 bushels per acre. The Carman 

 No. 1 averaged 375 bushels per acre, and Carman 

 No. 3, 400. The other varieties, about 300 bushels 

 per acre. None came up to my seedling. 1 shall 

 want to try some of Maule's Thoroughbred in the 

 spring. A. E. Manum. 



Bristol, Vt., Nov. 5. 1895. 



* On the above page (issue of Nov. 1) E, C. Green 



says: 



I can say that we had no variety of over one hundred kinds 

 but showed signs of blight by the middle of August; and by 

 Sept. 1st all were dead or practically so. The Craig held out 

 as long as any kind, but had to give up long before any frost. 



We also give our readers a view of friend 

 Manum, with his animated countenance as he 

 picks up his potatoes at digging-time. 



MANUM S 'ENORMOUS ' POTATO— ONE BUSHEL 

 TO SEVEN I1I[-LS. 



In reading over the letters from enthusiastic 

 potaio-growers, and hearing about their suc- 

 cesses, 1 am reminded of a little talk with 

 friend (lault, the originator of the raspberry 

 bearing his name He also for many years has 

 had a hobby of growing potatoes from seed- 

 balls. While I was looking over his grounds 

 one day I suggested that it took a good many 

 years of hard labor to bring out a new potato, 

 and soiin'times a grower does not get very much 

 reward for hi-* work after all. He said it re» 

 minded him of a little story he once heard, A 

 prisoner was receiving a severe reprimand from 

 the judge. After it was ended he looked up 

 meekly and inquired of the judge if he himself 

 didn't ever get drunk. 



" Get drunk ? Why. to be sure, not." 



'• What 1 never in your life ? " 



"I get drunk! Why, what do you mean? 

 To be siire. I never did. What are you think- 

 ing about ? " 



*• Well, judge, all I have got to say is that 

 you have missed lots of fun— that's all." 



Even if ray neighbor loas obliged to admit 

 that he had not received very much from his 

 beautiful new varieties with their strange pe- 

 culiar individualities, he had very much en- 

 joyment: and one who had never experienced 

 any such work, had. according to the verdict of 

 the poor inebriate, missed "lots of fun." The 

 difference between getting drunk, and raising 

 potatoes, is, one brings only sorrow and shame; 



